“Look at Chelsea they played a World Cup-winning striker up front, England’s second striker on the bench, and Belgium’s second striker in the stands,” he said, via Football.London. “We had no strikers on the pitch, no strikers on the bench and two in the hospital.”

Chelsea were the much better side on the day, with Olivier Giroud making a statement to Frank Lampard about his ability as a center forward.

And Mourinho felt sufficiently shorthanded on the day, especially given the exhausting 1-0 loss to RB Leipzig at midweek.

“Lucas, Lo Celso, Bergwijn,” he said. “These boys that are playing every minute and trying to do miracles in positions that are not their positions. I cannot complain.”

Mourinho also defended keeping Dele Alli on the bench for the first time in his tenure as Spurs boss.

“We had strange game plans but we needed to have them. Like Lamela who played well, people think I’m stupid that I don’t play him, but he’s constantly communicating with me in the warm-up, can I play or not. He was telling me his feelings.”

Spurs will finish the weekend four points back of the top four and as many as two back of fifth. They have eight days until another big match, March 1 versus Wolves.

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For the second time in 11 days’ time, Tottenham Hotspur coughed up a lead to Southampton in the fourth round of the FA Cup, only this time Jose Mourinho’s side was fortunate enough to escape with victory on the back of their own comeback capped off by an 87th-minute penalty kick.

From 1-0 up inside the opening quarter-hour, to a 2-1 down with under minutes to go, to 3-2 in a span of nine minutes, Tottenham are through to the fifth round where they’ll host Norwich City.

Spurs went ahead in the 12th minute and appeared to be off to the races. Ryan Sessegnon raced into the penalty area one-on-one with Jack Stephens before losing out and having the ball tackled away, but it fell directly to Tanguy Ndombele just outside the box. Ndombele hit it hard and low, first-time, and straight at Stephens as he returned to his feet. The ball ricocheted off the Saints defender and left goalkeeper Angus Gunn anchored in place.

The lead didn’t even last until halftime, though, as Shane Long put home a rebound after Hugo Lloris made a diving save in the 34th minute. It was Nathan Redmond‘s initial shot which came in from the edge of the area, only to be saved by the outstretch Lloris. He couldn’t hold the ball and no one in a white shirt arrived to clear the ball away before Long reached the top of the six-yard box and slotted it near post.

That lead lasted almost no time at all, though, as Lucas Moura had Spurs level within five minutes. Lucas and Dele Alli played a quick one-two outside the penalty area and the Brazilian tucked his left-footed finish home just as well as Ings had done minutes earlier.

Son Heung-min won, and converted, the penalty kick that proved the difference on the day, but it was once again Alli who pulled the strings and set up one of the game’s crucial moments. His through ball came cut Saints’ defense in half and left Gunn with no choice but to rush off his line, though it must be said the contact he made with Son was minimal, if any at all.

Lucas Moura scored early and Jan Vertonghen in stoppage time as Spurs overcame an Adama Traore equalizer on a tense, drenched day in the West Midlands.

Spurs are now three points back of fourth place Chelsea, who they play next week, while Wolves sit five points back of the Top Four in eighth.

This was a great away win for Mourinho’s Spurs, who ended Wolves

It was Vertonghen’s first league goal since opening day of the 2018/19 season.

Three things we learned

1. Show-stopper set up for next Sunday: The intensity of this match was high, but it’ll be nothing compared to what’s coming in a week. Jose Mourinho will lead his thriving Spurs into Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a meeting with his longtime club (Chelsea) and its manager, who happens to be one of his favorite players (Frank Lampard). The Blues struggles have allowed many teams to have a peak at the Top Four, and Spurs will climb above Chelsea with a win. Start it now, please.

2. Planning pays off: Jose Mourinho knew his Spurs would have a 2-day advantage on rest, but still kept a bevy of stars out of a dead rubber at Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League. Harry Kane, Davinson Sanchez, Dele Alli, and Jan Vertonghen didn’t play in the 3-1 loss, while Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son split minutes. Wolves went hard on Thursday against Besiktas, and it’s no surprise that Spurs were livelier, earlier, in producing the opener. That Vertonghen provided the late goal sure helps the argument.

3. Two of Nuno’s success stories provide equalizer: When you talk about the harnessing of individual talent, few have done as well as Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo. Two of his best bits of work have been done with Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore. The latter scored a bullet goal to level the score after the hour mark, set up by a dribble and run by El Tri star Jimenez.

Man of the Match: It’s one of the goal scorers for sure, but Vertonghen gets out edge for five aerials won and three tackles against a very intense Wolves side.

Wolves had an early corner, but Spurs produced the first two bits of danger and cashed in the second. Lucas dribbled into the right of the box and smashed a shot past Rui Patricio.

The Wolves keeper would slide to defy Heung-min Son moments later, Jose Mourinho’s men out of the gates hard.

Raul Jimenez fired wide in the 26th minute, one of Wolves first true forays into the box.